Multiple-can-filling machine.



No. 766,329. PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904. J. GUNNING.

MULTIPLE CAN FILLING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 8, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

No. 766,329. I

UNTTED STATES Patented August 2, 1904.

JAMES CUNNING, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

MULTlPLE-CAN-FILLING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 766,329, dated August2, 1904.

Application filed May 8, 1903. Serial No. 156,162. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES CUNNING, a citizen of the United States,residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Multiple CanFilling Machines, set forth in the following specification andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters ofreference throughout the different figures represent similar parts.

My invention relates in a general way to devices and means for fillingcans with any suitable fiuid or semifiuid products generally, and hasfor its objects rapidity, efiiciency, cleanliness, economy, andlabor-saving qualities in its use, ready adaptation or adjustment todifferent sizes of jars or cans to be filled, utilizing, preferably,steam or compressed air pressures to operate the machine, in which Ihave provided a compression-cylinder and a receiving chamber or cylinderbelow it, a double-acting piston mounted in the former and directlyconnected, by means of pistonrod, to and operating a plunger in thelatter said chamber, that pressure may be readily given to any productplaced in the receivingchamber to compress said product into cans orjars through a series of nozzles provided in latter chamber and whichare controlled by suitable cut-otf-valve mechanism. In order that thegreatest number of cans may be filled at one time, I have preferred touse a square receiving-chamber, and I have provided a cylinder belowsaid chamber to support and operate a suitable table, giving it avertical movement suflicient that trays containing a number of cans arereadily placed under the machine and pressed up against themultiple-nozzle plate to be filled, the nozzles being placed equidistantthat they range with the cans in the trays and will enter the mouthsthereof readily, and after filling the table is quickly lowered for theremoval of the filled tray, to be replaced by a tray of empties. For theadjustment of the operating distance of the table from thereceiving-chamber I have provided an adjustable piston rod or supportbetween the table-supporting piston and the table, whereby the lattermay be held within a higher or lower range that cans of various heightswithin reasonable limits may be adjusted for.

A further object is means of engagement between the valve controllingfluid-pressure under the table-supporting piston and the mechanismoperating the valve-plate controlling the nozzles.

A further object is means for automatically moving the trays of emptycans to position for filling and at the same time discharging thefilled-can trays.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a partial end elevation of my device withparts removed. Fig. 2 is broken side elevation, partly in section. Fig.3 is a detached broken sectional view of nozzle and valve-plate andguide-plate. FigA is a perspective broken detached view of thenozzle-controlling valve and the means connecting between this valve andthe valve controlling the table-operating piston. Fig. 5 is an enlargedsectional view of the said tableoperating piston and adjusting device.Fig. 6 is an enlarged detached view of multiplenozzle plate andsealing-cone.

In the descriptive characters, (t represents the frame; a, the maincylinder: (0 the plunger operating in the receiving-chamber I).

a is the valve controlling the piston in main cylinder to.

c is a cut-oti-valve plate provided with an opening 0', correspondingand registering with each nozzle. (1 is a guide-plate protecting saidvalve-plate and providing sloping or funnel-shaped openings to thenozzle-openings. c is the stem of said valve-plate, provided with anoperating-lever 0 f is a valve controlling the fluid-pressure actuatingthe piston g in cylinder 7L and is provided with a lever f and a cam fadapted to engage with a recess 0*, cut through side of valve-stem 0when the nozzles are closed, that the steam or air pressure providedunder the piston g to raise and hold the table may be released only whenthe nozzles are closed, and also that while the cam f 2 is in enand cansthat are filled, to be lowered from the filling-nozzles, and until thevalve-plate is moved back to close said nozzles the air-valve cannot beclosed, as the cam f would strike the stem 0 on projecting end 0 Bythese limitations to operation given to the latter said valve andvalve-plate by such interlocking means prevent the accidental dischargeof the product to be filled in the cans upon the table or floor when thecans are not in position on the nozzles for filling.

The sealing and adjusting cone or-collar 6 has aslight groove 6' cut atside, so when the edge of mouth of the can 0 joins it that the joiningof surfaces will not be so absolutely air-tight that there is no escapefor the air contained in the can, which otherwise would cause resistanceto filling the cans.

The piston g is provided with an adjustable piston-rod section 9,connected to under side of table 9 and being threaded and extending downinto the hollow piston-rod section g, which is provided at its upper endwith an adjusting-wheel threaded at its bore to fit and engage with thethread on said adjustable section 9 of piston-rod, whereby the table isreadily raised or lowered relatively to its operating-piston 9 thatdifferent heights of cans may be filled. On the table I have provided anautomatic shifting apparatus that will move the trays of cans depositedupon the table at g to the proper position beneath the nozzles that thetable may be elevated, the cans filled, and again lowered, when the nexttray g, placed at g on strips 9 is moved to filling position, and at thesame time the former filled'tray is moved away to the table 0 and theoperations continued.

The carrier-wheels a and'2' mounted rotatively at ends of table g andchains 7?, is carried by said wheels and stops or spacing-block '21,fixed on said chains at equidistant points and adapted to move at equalrates or equal distances. A friction-wheel 2 is mounted on the axle onone set of the carrier-wheels at one end of the table, and a rotatingfrictionwheel is provided below the wheel 2' in such relation theretothat when the table is lowered after a tray of cans has been filled thatthe wheel 2' comes into light frictional contact with the wheel 1' andis thereby rotated the distance of the spaces between the stops on thechains, the said stops successively coming in contact with the hingedweighted tripping-catch Z4, and when the table is again elevated thecontact between said friction-wheels ceases and the stop a", in contactwith the tripping-catch, is disengaged therefrom and catch drops back toposition and when the table is again lowered that said friction wheelscome into contact the carrier-chains are again free to go forward thedistance of one division between said stops, pushing a tray of filledcans on the table 0 and another tray of empties beneath thefilling-nozzles.

In. the application of my invention changes might be made, and I holdmyself at liberty to make any such alterations as fall fairly wighin thespirit and scope of my invention; an

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a can-filling machine, a receptacle, a nozzle-plate provided withsuitable nozzles at bottom of said receptacle, a valve-plate adapted toclose the said nozzles'at intervals, means to raise and support cans tobe filled to said and support cans to be filled and interlocking meansbetween the said valve-plate and said valve for the purposes set forth.

2. In acan-filling machine, areceptacle provided at bottom withmultiple-nozzle plate, a valve-plate adapted to control each of thenozzles in said nozzle-plate, a fluid-pressure cylinder andvertically-actuated piston therein, a table mounted upon the rod of saidpiston adapted to support trays of cans to be filled against the sealingmeans provided on said nozzles.

3. Inacan-filling machine, a receptacle provided at bottom withmultiple-nozzle plate, a pressure-actuated plunger operating in saidreceptacle, a valve-plate adapted to control each of said nozzles insaid nozzle-plate, a fluid-pressure cylinder and vertically-actuatedpiston therein, atable mounted upon external end of rod of said pistonadapted to support tray of cans against the said nozzles while cans arebeing filled, and means to raise and lower said table as desired.

4. Inacah-filling machine, areceptacleprovided at bottom withmultiple-nozzle plate and valve-plate adapted to control each of thenozzles in said nozzle-plate, a cylinder with vertically-operatingpiston fixed below said re- I ceptacle and nozzle-plate, a tablemountedon and supported by said piston, means of adj ustment betweensaid table and said piston, carrying-chains moving over said table,wheels on which said chains are carried mounted rotatively on said tableand means for rotating. said wheels.

5. In acan-filling machine, a receptacle with plunger operating therein,a multiple-nozzle plate at bottom of said receptacle, avertic allymovingtable operating below said nozzleplate, chain-wheels mounted rigidly onaxles journaled at each end of said table, shiftingchains mounted onsaid chain wheels and adapted to travel at certain intervals and I ooequal distances, stops provided at equal distances on said chains and atparallel points with one another, a friction-Wheel provided on the axleof either pair of said chain-wheels, a rotating driving friction-wheeljournaled to rotate in such relation below former said friction-wheelthat when the table is lowered to its lower point of movement the lattersaid wheel comes into frictional contact with said drivingfriction-wheel whereby the chains are driven forward, a tripping hingedcatch mounted at a fixed point below the table and chains adapted tocatch the stops on the chains that they will be stopped in position thattrays of cans carried by them under the nozzles will be in proper rangeto meet the nozzles when table is elevated.

6. In acan-filling machine a receptacle provided with a power-actuatedplunger and at bottom with a multiple-nozzle plate with nozzles, avalve-plate adapted to open or close all nozzles at one time, a tablesupported by a cylinder provided with a fluid-actuated piston connectedto under side of said table, a valve distributing fluid-pressure tosaidcylinder, interlocking means connecting between said valve and saidvalve-plate whereby the movements of the valve-plate and said valve arelimited as specified and the automaticallyoperated shifting-chainstraversing said table at certain intervals to shift can-trays to andfrom beneath the nozzles as set forth.

That I claim the foregoing I subscribe my name this 2d day of May, A. D;1903.

JAMES CUNNING. Witnesses:

ORA BUNDY, J AS. N. DUNCAN.

